Chatham Strait, Hanus Bay and Lake Eva
Our first day in Southeast Alaska almost seemed like it should be our grand finale! Although our program clearly stated we would spend the morning searching for whales, this was, most definitely, not necessary. Steve Gould, our expedition leader, awakened us at 0630 and within seconds, we were up on deck (some of us in our pajamas and bare feet thinking we were truly dreaming and not quite realizing we were attending a “herring festival”). Although we hadn’t yet started our breakfast, the humpback whales in the above photo had indeed started theirs. They were feasting on herring they had captured using bubbles and sound as tools to trap and chase the herring up to the surface. Once trapped, the giant gaping mouths of the humpback whales quickly engulfed the herring. We briefly left the whales to have our own breakfast while the whales continued their breakfast feast. They were still feasting when Dr. Fred Sharpe, Pieter Folken, and research associates from the Alaska Whale Foundation came aboard and provided a stimulating and informative interpretation of the whale behavior that we were so fortunate to witness. We marveled at the hanging rainbow blows (were they eating rainbow trout?). The perfect weather conditions allowed us to deploy a hydrophone, (an underwater microphone) and to our delight we heard the distinct calls of Melancholy (one of the whales in these social foraging groups) leading the group to the feast. At the precise moment the feeding call was most intense, the whales exploded through the surface. This spectacular sighting lasted for more than half the morning; it was such fun to use the birds flying overhead as a visual cue to the precise location of this surfacing!
On this stunning sunny day, we spent our afternoon exploring the Tongass National Forest on the Lake Eva Trail on Baranof Island. The tide was falling and just before stepping into the forest, we explored the incredible diversity of life in some of the tidepools. Our walk through the forest was thrilling; the rich green forest was draped in mosses and lichens and it was here we were introduced to the incredibly rich diversity of the forest, and of course, the boot-sucking Alaskan mud. Nine of us simultaneously hugged a 500-600 year old Sitka spruce, while others spent some time watching the bright pink Sockeye salmon getting ready to spawn in a nearby stream.
Many new worlds in nature have been opened to us today in Southeast Alaska. This first day was truly a dream come true and we felt very fortunate to have witnessed such an amazing rich display of abundance and diversity. As we settle into our cabins for a restful night’s sleep, we wonder what will tomorrow bring?
Our first day in Southeast Alaska almost seemed like it should be our grand finale! Although our program clearly stated we would spend the morning searching for whales, this was, most definitely, not necessary. Steve Gould, our expedition leader, awakened us at 0630 and within seconds, we were up on deck (some of us in our pajamas and bare feet thinking we were truly dreaming and not quite realizing we were attending a “herring festival”). Although we hadn’t yet started our breakfast, the humpback whales in the above photo had indeed started theirs. They were feasting on herring they had captured using bubbles and sound as tools to trap and chase the herring up to the surface. Once trapped, the giant gaping mouths of the humpback whales quickly engulfed the herring. We briefly left the whales to have our own breakfast while the whales continued their breakfast feast. They were still feasting when Dr. Fred Sharpe, Pieter Folken, and research associates from the Alaska Whale Foundation came aboard and provided a stimulating and informative interpretation of the whale behavior that we were so fortunate to witness. We marveled at the hanging rainbow blows (were they eating rainbow trout?). The perfect weather conditions allowed us to deploy a hydrophone, (an underwater microphone) and to our delight we heard the distinct calls of Melancholy (one of the whales in these social foraging groups) leading the group to the feast. At the precise moment the feeding call was most intense, the whales exploded through the surface. This spectacular sighting lasted for more than half the morning; it was such fun to use the birds flying overhead as a visual cue to the precise location of this surfacing!
On this stunning sunny day, we spent our afternoon exploring the Tongass National Forest on the Lake Eva Trail on Baranof Island. The tide was falling and just before stepping into the forest, we explored the incredible diversity of life in some of the tidepools. Our walk through the forest was thrilling; the rich green forest was draped in mosses and lichens and it was here we were introduced to the incredibly rich diversity of the forest, and of course, the boot-sucking Alaskan mud. Nine of us simultaneously hugged a 500-600 year old Sitka spruce, while others spent some time watching the bright pink Sockeye salmon getting ready to spawn in a nearby stream.
Many new worlds in nature have been opened to us today in Southeast Alaska. This first day was truly a dream come true and we felt very fortunate to have witnessed such an amazing rich display of abundance and diversity. As we settle into our cabins for a restful night’s sleep, we wonder what will tomorrow bring?
